Manfred Weber: Turkey cannot become EU member

Turkey cannot become a member of the European Union, Manfred Weber, the European Peoples Party's (EPP) leading candidate to be European Commission President after Parliament elections in May, said on Wednesday. Speaking to German conservatives in Bavaria, the Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP added that if he becomes Commission president, he will instruct the offices in Brussels to end the talks with Turkey on accession to the EU. His words were welcomed by applause.

Turkey continues to consider the EU membership as one of its top strategic goals even though accession talks, formally launched in 2004, have been stalled for years. In October, President Tayyip Erdogan said he could put Turkey's long-stalled bid to join the EU to a referendum, signaling exasperation with a process he says has been waylaid by prejudice against Muslims.

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